The present invention generally relates to the game of golf and, more particularly, to a device and method of play which facilitate correct swinging of a golf club.
The game of golf is known throughout the world and is presently enjoying a surge in popularity, particularly in certain foreign countries. Golf is considered to be a recreational sport by many, but to the enthusiast or professional, there is a never-ending search for improvements which will attain more perfect and consistent play.
Exemplary prior art includes the device disclosed in Hargraves U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,382 which comprises an attachment which actually touches the golfer's hand to assist him or her in maintaining proper position of the arms. Eddie Birchenough in Golfing School, pps. 35-42 has said: "Golf is essentially a game of control . . . Control over the club face . . . is really what the game is all about. The perfect impact situation . . . is when a) the ball is being struck on the `sweetspot` b) the club head is travelling along the path towards the target and c) the clubface is `square` to the swing path. Nothing else is needed."
Jerry Barber (PGA champ and Player of the Year--1961) has said: "Control of the hands is the #1 element in the golf swing, and it will always be . . . Really there is no advice that is better." The Champion's Guide to Golf. p. 15. It is a tenet of the golf game that control of the swing rests with the left arm. Two things are expected from an efficient golf swing. First, it is desired to attain the greatest club head speed at the instant of impact. Second, it is necessary to bring the club head into the ball squarely along the line of flight. "The function of the whole left side-hand, arm, shoulder, hip, toenails, everything--is to control the club and control the swing all the way up into the backswing and all the way down again until the last few inches before the club face meets the ball." Swarbrick The Duffer's Guide to Bogey Golf, p. 56.
Arnold Palmer writes in 495 Golf Lessons By Arnold Palmer. p. 44: "The position of the left hand on the club shaft pretty much determines the direction your shots will fly . . . I personally prefer to position this hand so that the back of it faces down the target line. If my club face also faces down the target line at address and impact, I will obtain pretty good direction on my shot if the back of my left hand again looks down the line during impact." And at p. 82 of the same publication he adds "To make a full backswing that will produce a forceful and accurate blow to the ball, your left hand must dominate control of the club."
However, the foregoing is well and fine, but easier said than done, particularly in the case of beginners and amateurs. Accordingly, the present invention aims to enable everyone from the beginner to amateur, and ultimately the professional to improve their skills, whether for recreational or professional tournament play.